Reviews : Albums : Darkane, "Rusted Angel"

Do you remember Naglfar's "Diabolical," Eucharist's "Mirrorworlds," Darkane's "Rusted Angel," and all those other great albums put out on War Music in the late nineties? If not, don't be ashamed; due to poor distribution and weak promotion, most of those releases never got the chance they rightly deserved. Recently, however, Regain Records has been silently re-releasing those out of print gems (with US distribution through The End Records, to boot) and this time around, there is no excuse for missing out.

Darkane's debut, "Rusted Angel," was probably the most successful album War Music ever released. It received a US release via Relapse Records and caught the attention of Century Media (who licensed the band's subsequent album, "Insanity") and Nuclear Blast (who released "Insanity" in Europe and secured the rights to Darkane's latest, "Expanding Senses"). Despite all its critical acclaim, however, it has been tough to get for the past few years because of War Music's implosion/transformation into New Hawen Records.

This quintet has never sounded better than they did on their debut. Original and ambitious, "Rusted Angel" should have made Darkane a huge name within the extreme metal genre. Combining thrash with string arrangements ("The Arcane Darkness") and vocal choirs ("Intro"), these Swedes established themselves as something new and exciting. Session vocalist Lawrence Mackory's range is impressive and integral to the album's formula; his transitions from death growls to clean vocals to venomous snarls and back again are flawless and he always seems know just what style to employ in each section of each song (check out "Convicted" for a stellar example of this). The guitar work is just as impressive, if not more so. Malmstrom and Ideberg are two underrated virtuosos within the scene, weaving complex tapestries of melody, aggression, and balls-out-speed. Keeping things under control are drummer Peter Wildoer and bassist Jorgen Lofberg, consistently impressing with their control and technicality. All these elements come together admirably, resulting in an album which drips with atmosphere and was easily among 1998's very best releases.

Even today, six years later, this album holds up amazingly well. Nearly bursting with energy and a classic style, it should appeal to old schoolers as well as fans of newer acts, such as Soilwork and Construcdead. If you missed your chance the first time around, there's never been a better time to grab a copy of this coveted masterpiece for yourself.

Note: Regain and The End Records were kind enough to include three tracks previously unavailable to fans (at least those residing in the western hemisphere) on the 2003 re-release: Japanese bonus track "Relief in Disguise" along with live versions of "A Wisdoms Breed" and "Convicted." The first of these is an instrumental with an Arch Enemy-esque tinge to it. The latter two are self-explanatory.

Standout Tracks    Convicted    Rusted Angel    Chase for Existence    July 1999

Tom Bransfield